


House of Celestial Dreams

by PlanetClare



Series: The Assassin and the Thief [2]
Category: Gambit (Comic), James "Bucky" Barnes - Fandom, Marvel (Comics), Winter Soldier (Comics), X-Men, X-Men (Comicverse), remy lebeau - Fandom
Genre: Brothels, Bucky Barnes Has Cats, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Buddy Story, Cafe du Monde, Cajun, Creole, Crimson Voodoo, Cybernetics, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fetish, Humor, Louisiana, Love, Madam, Man Out of Time, Nail Polish, Naked Male Clothed Female, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, New Orleans, Oral Sex, Protective Bucky Barnes, Reading Aloud, Sex, Sex Toys, Sexual Humor, Sébastien the Cat - Freeform, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Zydeco, bordello, whore house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:16:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4452683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the events in “The Assassin and the Thief,” Bucky tags along with Remy who is on his way to see his dear friend, Madame Celeste, the proprietor of the House of Celestial Dreams. Little does he know it, but the Winter Soldier is about to add a new title to his resume.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Remy visit Madame Celeste, the proprietor of the House of Celestial Dreams.

As Bucky relaxed in the passenger seat, Remy guided Crimson Voodoo through the streets of New Orleans. Noticing a smile on the mutant’s face, the Winter Soldier was curious what amused his friend.

“I know that look. What’s on your mind, pal?” Bucky asked.

“I was just wondering...you know Iron Cross, don’t you?

“Yeah...both,” he replied. “Steve and I fought the original Iron Cross during the World War II, but his daughter – the new Iron Cross – took my place with the New Invaders. Which one are you asking about?”

“The daughter,” Remy clarified. “What’s her name?”

“Her name is Clare. Clare Gruler. Why?” the confused solider asked.

Smiling, Remy said, “Yeah, Clare. She’s hot, yeah?”

“She’s a cyborg,” Bucky replied.

“Yeah, but she’s still hot,” Remy chirped.

“And you’re always on,” observed the soldier.

“On what?”

“On the prowl – _that’s_ what!”

“What can I say? I appreciate an attractive woman...even if she’s a cyborg,” confessed the mutant.

“She’s _mostly_   cyborg,” Bucky clarified.

“What? You got something against cyborgs?” queried Remy.

“In case you haven’t noticed, my friend, I feel a kinship with machines,” Bucky advised.

“Then you should be able to appreciate her hotness all the more!”

Bucky laughed and shook his head.

“Did you and she ever...hook up?” asked the prying mutant.

“We met on a mission. No one had time for that kind of thing.”

Pressing on, Remy asked, “You still in contact with her?”

“Yeah. Every now and then, she asks for my help with some intel.”

“Are you friends?” the Cajun persisted.

“We’re friendly ‘coworkers,’ I would say. Where are you going with this line of questioning?” Bucky queried.

“Hmm...Can you introduce me to her?” the thief finally asked.

“Remy, she’s a CYBORG!” Bucky reiterated.

After a few moments of silence, Remy asked, “So, should I take dat as a ‘no’?”

Dumbfounded, Bucky simply stared at his companion.

“What? You don’t think she’s hot?”

“Oh, are we starting this from the beginning?” Bucky asked sarcastically. “Let’s just say that we ‘understand’ each other and have sort of a ‘shorthand’ between us.” After a pause, he continued with a smile, “I’ll confess that if she needed help with any of her machinery, I could fix her.”

“Ha! You _do_   think she’s hot!” laughed Remy.

“Yeah...a little bit,” confessed Bucky.

Both men howled with laughter.

“But it’s not like that with us,” Bucky confided.

“Great...then you can introduce us,” Remy decided with confidence.

* * * * * *

Slowing the car down, Remy parked it across the street from a light blue, 2-story house with white shutters.

“Here we are. Come on...let’s go,” said Remy.

The two men exited the car and crossed the street. As they approached the house, they could hear music and voices from inside.

Curious, Bucky asked, “Is Celeste having a party tonight?”

Turning to him, Remy replied with a smirk, “Oh, you could say dat she throws a party _every_   night.”

Bucky followed his companion through the front door where they were greeted by a tall, muscular Creole young man in a black suit who was standing in the foyer.

“May I help you gentlemen?” the young man asked.

“We’re here to see Celeste. I’m an old friend, and she’s expecting us,” Remy said.

“Wait here,” replied the young man as he turned and walked away.

As they stood waiting, Bucky took a peek into the living room and saw men sitting on sofas and chairs with scantily clad women sitting on their laps. The assassin suddenly realized he was standing in the foyer of a brothel.

With eyes as big as saucers, Bucky turned to Remy who was nonchalantly standing next to him.

“This is a brothel!” the assassin excitedly whispered to his friend.

Shrugging his shoulders, Remy casually replied, “Ah...yeah…House of Celestial Dreams. So what?”

“It didn’t look like a brothel from the outside,” said Bucky.

“What’d you expect – it to be painted red with a flashing neon sign that says ‘Brothel’?” Remy asked sarcastically.

“Is Celeste one of the girls?” Bucky queried as he took another look around the living room.

“Nah...Celeste owns the place,” the thief said proudly.

“So, she’s a lady pimp?” Bucky asked for clarification.

“You’ve got to stop judging people, mon ami,” joked Remy.

Before Bucky could respond, an older man in an expensive Italian suit shoved aside the girl on his lap, rose from the sofa he was sitting on, and approached the younger men.

“You two swamp rats seem to be lost. May I be of assistance?” the man asked.

Offended, Bucky and Remy looked at the man, then at each other, and back at the man again.

As Bucky was about to tell the man that they did not want any trouble, Remy spoke.

“Why, no, mon ami. We’re fine and don’t want to interrupt your visit,” the mutant said with a slight bow.

The man’s eyes narrowed.

Looking at one of the girls in the room, Remy said, “Oh! Dame charmante! Don’t I know you?” As he approached her, he bumped into the older man.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, monsieur! Clumsy me. Please forgive,” Remy said as he brushed the man’s suit with his left hand.

“Get off of me, you idiot!” the man yelled.

Stepping forward, Bucky grabbed Remy by the arm and pulled the mutant behind him for protection in case the man lashed out.

“We’re sorry, sir. We don’t want any trouble here,” said Bucky. He did not want to escalate the situation but decided that if the man pressed the issue, he would ask him to join him outside.

As the man continued to glare at the pair, Remy grabbed the sleeve of Bucky’s black leather jacket and led him to an area under the stairs where the thief pulled the older man’s wallet from inside his jacket.

Shocked, Bucky whispered, “Did you just steal his wallet?”

“Yes, I did,” Remy replied matter-of-factly. “Dat jackass looks familiar.”

Opening the wallet, he slid the man’s driver’s license from its slot.

“I _thought_   he looked familiar! Dat’s the school superintendent! Look at him sitting in a whore house acting all high and mighty,” Remy sneered.

“I don’t care _how_   ‘high and mighty’ he acts. You’re giving him his wallet back,” instructed Bucky.

Remy’s shoulders slumped as he woefully joked, “Oh, James! Why do you always suck the fun out of everything?”

“Hey, _I’m_   fun!” Bucky protested. “I’m just not a thief.”

“Well, I _am,_ so – ” Remy started.

“So, you’re giving it BACK!” Bucky demanded as he jabbed his right index finger into Remy’s chest.

Disappointed, Remy walked back to the doorway of the living room. He waited until no one was looking and then dropped the wallet on the carpet which was cobalt blue with the signs of the Zodiac, stars, and phases of the moon in gold.

“Oh, sir?” the thief called.

As the older man turned to give him a dirty look, Remy said, “I believe you dropped your wallet.”

Looking down at it, the man walked briskly over, picked it up, and checked its contents to ensure that nothing was missing.

Instead of thanking Remy, he turned and walked away.

“Now don’t you feel better?” Bucky asked his companion.

“I do. I certainly do,” Remy replied with a sly smile.

As the tall young man returned, he said, “Madame Celeste will see you now.”

Bucky and Remy followed him toward a small office at the rear of the house. As they reached the door, they heard a commotion coming from the living room.

Looking over his shoulder, Bucky wondered, “What’s that about?”

Whispering, Remy confessed, “I put a small kinetic charge on his driver’s license. I figured he deserved a little extra ‘bang’ for his buck.”

“I thought I saw your eyes glow when you put it back in his wallet. He was pretty rude, so I guess he had it coming,” Bucky conceded.

The young man opened the door and stepped aside to allow Bucky and Remy to enter the room. It was decorated with powder blue wall paper and with a small gold fleur-de-lis pattern. A dark drown bookcase stood against the wall on the right, and a small dark blue sofa was on the left.

Sitting at the small wooden desk that faced the door was a sturdy brunette who looked to be in her 40s. She was just ending a phone call and held up her left index finger as Bucky and Remy approached.

“Thank you. I’ll be in touch,” the woman said as she ended the call.

Standing and straightening the skirt of her navy blue business suit, the woman walked to the front of the desk and greeted her guests.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Remy! It’s good to see you, cher!” she said as she and the mutant kissed each other on both cheeks. “And who is this fine young buck?” she asked as her green eyes glanced up and down Bucky examining him head-to-toe.

“Celeste, this is my copain, James. James, this is my dear friend, Madame Celeste.”

“Pleased to meet you, James,” Celeste said extending her right hand for a shake.

“The pleasure is mine, ma’am,” said Bucky who instead of shaking her hand took it in his and kissed it.

“Well, you’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you James?” I didn’t think that Remy knew any,” she joked. “Please, mes amis, have a seat,” she said as she sat on the edge of her desk and crossed her shapely legs.

Sitting in one of the comfortable blue chairs, Remy reminded her, “You asked me to see you on an urgent matter.”

“Yes, I did, but perhaps James would like to wait outside while we talk,” Celeste suggested.

As Bucky rose to exit, Remy stopped him.

“No, James can stay if it’s all the same to you,” he said.

“Very well. Actually, this may be of interest to him as well,” she purred as she once again looked at Bucky from head-to-toe.

Returning to his seat, Bucky was beside himself with curiosity.

“Remy, you remember my employee, Andre, don’t you?” Celeste asked.

“Yeah, I know dat rascal. He giving you trouble?” he asked.

“No, it’s just dat he had a family emergency and has left me high and dry for two weeks,” she frowned.

“Oh, dat’s a shame, chérie,”

“Yes, it is, Remy. So, I was hoping dat you could help me out of the bind I’m in. It’s short notice, but would you be willing to take on Andre’s clients for the two weeks he’s gone? You’d be doing me an awfully big favor, mon coeur,” Celeste cooed.

Bucky slowly realized what Celeste was asking of his partner as Remy mulled it over for a moment.

Just as Bucky thought he would decline, the Cajun spoke.

“Celeste, me and you go back a few good years, yeah, so you know I always try to help a friend in need. I have to get to the school soon but will postpone dat to fill in for Andre,” he replied.

Overjoyed, Celeste clapped her hands together and said, “Thank you, Remy! I knew I could count on you!”

Surprised that Remy agreed to do it, Bucky sat looking at him with his mouth ajar.

“You know, James,” Celeste said, “I have a few select clients who have particular needs. Perhaps you could entertain them. As it happens, I’ve had a little trouble finding a young man to fit the bill. It would lighten the load for Remy, and you’d be helping the ladies as well.”

Blushing, Bucky replied, “Ma’am, I have no experience with this line of business, so I’m sorry, but – ”

“James, don’t be rude. Hear her out,” Remy interrupted.

“I’m not sure my girlfriend would like it,” Bucky said thinking of the love of his life.

Turning to Celeste, Remy added, “He’s a bit shy and old-fashioned – dat’s all.”

“Thank you, Remy,” Celeste purred. “James, it’s not what you think. I have certain clients who are, like you, a little shy and old-fashioned but still crave male companionship. For example, one client simply enjoys a man reading erotic literature to her. Another likes to have a man give her a manicure. There would be no sex involved, and you could do as much or as little as you’re willing to do. Would you consider dat?” she asked coyly.

“Just reading and painting nails?” Bucky asked.

Celeste shook her head ‘yes.’

“I’d like to think about it before I give you an answer,” the soldier said blushing again.

“When would you like us to start?” asked Remy.

“Tomorrow, if you can,” she replied. “Dat’s if you’re willing,” she said to Bucky.

Turning to his companion, Remy said, “James, could you please give us a moment while we finalize the terms?”

“Ah...sure,” he replied as he stood.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, James,” she said.

“The pleasure was mine, ma’am,” Bucky said with the nod of his head.

“Before you leave, would you mind?” Celeste asked.

Stopping, Bucky looked at her curiously.

Celeste approached Bucky, raised her hands, and squeezed his muscular biceps.

“What a shame you’re shy...and with a physique like that! Good night, James,” she said as he blushed once more and walked to the door.

“We’ll only be a minute,” Remy promised.

As Bucky closed the door behind him, Remy turned his attention back to Madame Celeste.

Lowering his voice, the mutant insisted, “There have to be set rules in place for James, and they’re not negotiable,” he confided.

Intrigued, Celeste leaned closer to her friend.

“First and foremost – no redheads!” demanded Remy.

“Why is dat, may I ask?” wondered Celeste.

“Dat’s because he’s going through a rough patch right now with a redhead, and you’ll lose a customer if you make him an appointment with one.”

“All right. Dat’s easy. I don’t think I have any redheaded clients but if I _do,_ you can handle those,” agreed Celeste.

“Second, you know I’m up for anything, but under no circumstances is he to do anything he feels uncomfortable doing,” insisted Remy.

“Agreed. I want happy customers and for him to be happy, too,” she replied. “Anything else?”

“Yes. We only work from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.,” Remy said.

“Why, may I ask?” she queried.

“...Because...” Remy replied with a shrug.

“After a moment of thought, Celeste said, “I think we can make dat happen. Is dat all?”

“I think dat about covers it, mon amour,” he said.

“Well, all right then,” said Celeste. You boys be here at 8:00 tomorrow night. My lady clients use the side entrance just outside my office. Dat way, they don’t encounter my male clientele who use the main entrance. You and James will each have a room on the first floor for your use as the second floor is for my female employees and their clients.”

“Sounds good, Celeste. We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a broad grin as he let himself out.

Bucky had been standing in the hallway listening to the music and muffled conversations coming from the living room.

Approaching him, Remy said, “Okay, mon ami. I think we’re done here tonight. How about we go over to Antoine’s for some Abita beer?”

Bucky was curious about what transpired after he left the room but was unsure how to ask.

As they left the House of Celestial Dreams, the two said good-night to the young man in the foyer and crossed the street to where Crimson Voodoo awaited them.

Remy could tell from Bucky’s silence that he was not completely at ease with the agreement they made with Madame Celeste.

“You have reservations, James?” he asked.

“I’ve never done anything like it before, and I just don’t think Natasha would like it,” Bucky confessed.

The assassin had been away from his girlfriend Natasha for a week and thought of her often. It was bad enough to be separated from her, but not knowing where she and the other Avengers were made it worse.

“Two more weeks away from Natasha. I don’t know if I can bear it,” Bucky confided.

“Well, you don’t have to do it, you know,” offered Remy. “I understand, and I know Celeste will, too.”

“No...A friend of yours is a friend of mine, so I’m willing to help. I’ll just Skype Natasha tonight and let her know,” Bucky said.

“She’s a tough girl, dat Natasha,” chirped Remy.

“I know. I helped to train her,” Bucky replied. “So, how do you do it?” he asked.

“Do what?” the Cajun asked.

“You know what.”

“It’s just sex, mon ami,” Remy advised. “It doesn’t have to always mean something.”

“Well, it _should,”_   Bucky suggested.

“This is the modern world, James – not the 1940s. Women enjoy sex, too, and they’re not always looking for a commitment.”

Bucky frowned at his companion.

“Look, just because that ’brick top’ has your balls in a jar on the nightstand doesn’t mean dat you can’t be adventurous now and then. This is the Big Easy. Live a little!”

“Natasha has _never_   had my balls in a jar!” Bucky protested.

“Really? How many women have you been with other than her?” Remy asked accusingly.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Bucky asked.

“Don’t answer a question with a question, James. Quit stalling and answer.”

Bucky sighed heavily.

“I’ll take that as ‘none.’ 

“Not _‘none,’”_ Bucky protested. “There was one other.”

“Mon Dieu! Dat many, Casnova?” joked Remy.

“Hilarious,” deadpanned Bucky.

“So, you’ve been with one woman other than her. How many men has she been with other than you?” the Cajun pressed.

Closing his eyes tightly, Bucky replied, “I don’t know...one hundred maybe.”

“Now, let me ask you dis: Who decides when you two make love?” he queried.

“She does.”

“Who decides who’s on top?” Remy continued.

After a moment, Bucky answered, “She’s always on top.”

“Why is dat?” the mutant asked.

Becoming annoyed, Bucky replied, “I don’t see what you’re getting at, pal!”

“Why _is_ dat?’ Remy repeated.

Sighing heavily, Bucky replied, “She likes to be in control of everything.”

“Which means you’re _still_ not your own man because you’re in control of NOTHING!” he advised.

“I’m in control of _lots_ of things!” the assassin protested.

“Such as...?” asked Remy.

Bucky thought for a moment but for the life of him, nothing came to mind. Sulking, he looked out the window.

"She takes advantage of your low self-esteem, mon ami," the Cajun said.

"So says you," Bucky snapped.

"Yes, so says I." Probing deeper, Remy asked, “Tell me...do you like it when she calls the shots?”

“Not always,” confessed Bucky.

“Then why do you put up with it?” wondered Remy.

“Because who else would have me?” he asked.

“Lots of women, James!”

“I _highly_   doubt that.”

“Well, if you cloak your arm, no one’s the wiser,” offered Remy.

“It’s not just that,” Bucky replied. “It’s also the night terrors.”

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” Remy suggested.

The assassin continued to look out the window and in a cold, deep voice that Remy did not recognize, Bucky said, “You have no idea.”

Not giving up so easily, Remy said, “Look, what’s the harm in having a little fun? For once, be your own man! Celeste said there’s no sex involved with your clients, so it’s not like you’d be cheating on Natasha anyway,” he insisted.

Bucky realized that he probably had a point, but he was still hesitant.

Curious, Remy asked, “Have you ever been in a brothel before, James?”

“Only twice,” he said. “Both times were in Europe – and those were noisy, dirty establishments indeed. The first time, I was there with army buddies who took me to celebrate my 18th birthday. That was the _‘other woman,'"_    he advised.  “The next time, I was there to look for a friend who had gone AWOL.”

“Well, this ain’t one of those European brothels from the ‘40s, James.

“I know. I guess I just never thought I’d see ‘male prostitute’ on my resume,” the assassin laughed.

“I’m sure there was a time that you never thought you’d see ‘world’s most lethal assassin’ on it either, yet here you are, Winter Soldier.”

Bucky did not know why but for some reason, that comment stung.

“Look, you don’t have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. The worst that could happen is you meet a few local ladies,” Remy assured him.

Reluctantly, Bucky said, “Well, okay. I’ll give it a try.”

Smiling, the mutant replied, “Great! You might actually like it.”

“One day at a time, my friend. One day at a time,” laughed the Winter Soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dat = that  
> “copain” = “buddy”  
> “mon coeur” = “my heart”  
> “mon amour”= “my love”  
> “Dame charmante!” = “Lovely lady!”  
> “mes amis” = “my friends”
> 
> I dedicate this story to my Facebook friend, Gilma, who has been enthusiastic, encouraging and supportive of my writing.


	2. First Night Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is nervous about his first night in the brothel. Remy shows him the ‘tools of the trade.’

The next evening, Bucky texted Natasha at 5:30 to let her know that he planned to Skype her 30 minutes later. At 6:00, he placed his laptop on Remy’s coffee table and sat on the floor in front of it. He was shirtless and barefoot wearing only faded jeans. His nerves were on edge as he thought of the night ahead of him and also because he knew Natasha would be upset if she knew where he was going.

Putting on his best poker face, Bucky launched Skype. His heart raced when he saw Natasha’s face. Using their screen names, they spoke for the first time in a week.

> **SoldierBoy:** Hey, babe! How are you? [His eyes welled up with tears.]
> 
> **BadGirl:** I’m good! I’m so happy to see you. Can we talk freely?
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** Yeah, this is a secure IP address, so it can’t be traced. How are you?
> 
> **BadGirl:** Busy. Evildoers don’t take a day off, you know. I wish I could tell you more.
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** [Laughs]
> 
> **BadGirl:** And how about you? Are you still in New Orleans? What time is it there?
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** Sweetie, I told you – we’re only one hour behind New York.
> 
> **BadGirl:** Ah! So you did. Will you be going home soon?
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** I’m afraid not. There’s something I need to do, so it’ll be another two weeks. [Choking on the words]
> 
> **BadGirl:** Two weeks? Is there something wrong? Are you in trouble? I can leave and be there if you need me.
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** No, Nat! I’m fine. I’m doing a favor for Remy LeBeau, that’s all. It’ll just take a little longer.
> 
> **BadGirl:** Your voice is cracking. Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** Yes...I mean no – nothing’s wrong. I’ll see you in two weeks’ time and think of you every day.
> 
> **BadGirl:** All right then. I have to go now.  I miss you!
> 
> **SoldierBoy:** Me too. Good night.
> 
> **BadGirl:** ’Night!

With his heart breaking, Bucky logged out of Skype, shut down his laptop, and sat for a moment to calm himself.

Remy was in his bedroom just a few feet away and heard the entire conversation. Feeling guilty for asking Bucky to stay the next two weeks, he pretended to be coming from the bathroom when he opened his bedroom door and approached Bucky.

“So, how is your girl, James? I think you should go home, yeah. Just because I’m staying doesn’t mean you have to. I appreciate the offer, but I won’t hold you to it,” the mutant said.

“No, no worries, man,” replied Bucky. “Nat’s working, so I probably wouldn’t see much of her even if I were to go. We’re fine...really.”

Studying his friend’s face for a moment, Remy said, “Well, if you’re sure, we better get going. You may have some last minute questions for Celeste, and we don’t want to be late.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

As Remy drove Crimson Voodoo through the streets of New Orleans, he could tell from Bucky’s knitted eyebrows and his silence that he was thinking about Natasha.

“You know, I can understand not wanting to be away from your girl, old man. If she were mine, I’d miss being with her every night,” Remy confessed.

“...and every morning, too,” added Bucky who was still lost in thought.

“What...?” inquired the intrigued mutant.

Feeling comfortable discussing intimacy with a young man who was once groomed to be a sex slave, Bucky glanced at Remy momentarily and confided, “Nat doesn’t believe in wasting an erection, and I have one nearly every morning. So, she’s usually sliding up and down my ‘flag pole’ before I’m even awake.”

Remy turned his head so quickly to stare at the assassin that he almost pulled a muscle in his neck. His mouth was ajar in utter surprise.

“There you go again...Watch the road, LeBeau!” Bucky admonished.

Facing forward again, the Cajun asked, “James, we’re friends, yeah?”

Confused, Bucky answered, “...Yeah...of course we are...”

“Then you promise me something, yeah?” requested Remy. 

Cautiously, Bucky asked, “What’s that?”

“You promise dat if you and Natasha ever fall out of love, you give her my number. Yeah?” the romantic Cajun asked.

Bucky howled with laughter. It was not the first laugh he had all day, but he savored it as if it were.

When he finally caught his breath, Bucky said, “Sorry, copain. I don’t see that happening.”

“Oh, no?” asked the cocky mutant.

“No, and if you even think about laying a hand on my Nat, I’ll kick your bony ass!” the assassin jokingly advised.

“You promise dat if you and Natasha ever fall out of love, you give her my number. Yeah?” the romantic Cajun asked.

“I give you points for trying, though,” he added.

“On verra,” Remy said with a smile.

After a long pause, Remy said, “You know, normally you would have had to audition to work for Celeste.”

“Audition? You mean _sleep_ with her?” Bucky asked surprised.

“Oh, she rarely does that these days. She would have had you audition with one of her girls...” he said.

“...Oh...I see...” Bucky replied as he considered the prospect.

“...While she watched,” the mutant continued.

 _“Watch me_  pump one of her girls?” Bucky asked for clarification.

“Yeah! Celeste is a business woman. She’s got to see what she’s getting herself into before she’d give you the job. You’re lucky! She took you on my word alone,” Remy said proudly. “So, you owe me.”

With his mouth agape, Bucky stared at his friend. “I don’t even know where to begin with that, pal,” he exclaimed.

“James, why you always so serious?” Remy queried.

“Just drive,” Bucky said and shook his head.

*  *  *  *  *  * 

Bucky and Remy arrived at the House of Celestial Dreams at 7:00 p.m. As they exited the GTO, Remy reached into the back seat and pulled out a black backpack which he threw over his right shoulder using only one strap. 

“What’s in the bag?” asked a curious Bucky.

Remy removed it from his shoulder and unzipped it to let his friend take a look inside.

The bag contained various lubricants, anal beads, nipple clamps, candles, incense, and two large dildos.  

“Tools of the trade, mon frère,” he said earnestly.

 _“Geez,_ man! Looks like you’re prepared for every fetish!” the amazed assassin replied.

“Well, if you’re gonna do something, you may as well do it right.” Remy said.

“I didn’t see any condoms in there,” noted Bucky.

“Oh, Celeste always provides those, so no need to bring your own,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Wouldn’t the kids at Jean Grey’s school be so proud to know that their Cajun teacher spends all his salary on sex toys?” Bucky joked.

“Oh, I don’t pay for these,” Remy confessed.

“What...you steal them?” his friend asked.

“Now, why would you assume dat?” the mutant asked slightly offended.

“Well, you just said you don’t pay for them...” Bucky reminded him.

“There’s ‘other currency’ in the world, James,” advised Remy. “I know a girl who owns one of the local sex toy shops.”

“So, you ‘buy’ them from her?” Bucky asked.

Stepping closer to his friend and lowering his voice, Remy said confidentially, “Oh, she says dat my money’s no good in her shop.” He pulled down his dark glasses slightly and peered over them at the assassin.

Staring back at the mutant, Bucky waited for the details.

“See, she said dat as long as I ‘assist her’ with trying out every item in her shop, I can have whatever I want for free,” he said with a wink.

After studying his partner’s face for a moment, Bucky proclaimed, “Man, you are SO nasty!”

“Yeah, dat’s what _she_ said!” Remy replied.

The two men convulsed with laughter.

When they finally stopped laughing, Remy reminded him, “You think _I’m_ nasty? I’m not the one pumping a Black Widow every morning and every night. It sounds like your ‘flag pole’ doesn’t get much of a rest!”

The two burst into laughter all over again.

Becoming serious once more, Bucky threw his head back and looked up at the cloudless night sky. He sighed and asked, “What am I getting myself into?”

“Relax, James,” Remy advised. “It’s like a walk in the park.”

Raising his hands shoulder high, Bucky replied, “Okay. Let’s do this.”

As the two men approached the side entrance to the House of Celestial Dreams, Bucky wondered if it was not too late to change his mind. He quickly thought of all the missions during World War II that he led into occupied Europe and realized there were worse things that he could be doing that night. After all, being a male prostitute was considerably less dangerous and definitely more desirable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> copain = buddy  
> on verra = we will see


	3. An Eventful Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky meets his first clients.

**Thursday**

Wearing a formfitting, black cocktail dress, Celeste greeted Bucky and Remy as they entered the House. She handed each man his schedule of clients for the week and personally showed them to their respective rooms which were next-door to each other.

Almost identical in décor, both rooms featured a full-size bed, a small wooden table and two matching chairs, one royal blue club chair, and two nightstands with hurricane lamps. A small fish bowl filled with condoms was placed on one of the nightstands. The wallpaper in both rooms featured a celestial pattern with the moon and stars in gold, and the drapes were royal blue to match the club chair.

Entering his room, Bucky nervously looked over his schedule and tried to put thoughts of Natasha out of his head. Neither of them wanted to be separated another two weeks, but since she was on a covert mission with the Avengers, he would not see her anyway.  

Bucky removed his black biker’s jacket and nervously sat in the club chair not knowing what to expect. It was not long before his first client arrived.

 

**Bucky**

8:00 – **Janette:** Erotic Literature

Hearing light knocking on the door, Bucky rose to answer it. In the hallway stood a petite brunette with an asymmetrical haircut. She wore a sleeveless brown dress with tan colored sandals and carried a book in her left hand.

“Hello! You must be James,” the brunette said.

“Yes, ma’am, and you’re Janette, right? Won’t you come in?” he asked stepping aside to let her enter. Closing the door, he let her decide where to sit before he moved.

Blushing, Janette sat on the edge of the near side of the bed and smiled up at him.

Nervously, she said, “I love the sound of a man’s voice, so I’d like you to read to me.”

“Oh, I’d love to!” Bucky said thinking he had gotten off easy in his first session.

Janette handed him the book that she brought – a copy of “I Shudder at Your Touch” edited by Michele Slung. It was an anthology of erotic horror stories, and she waited with anticipation for him to begin reading.

She eagerly watched Bucky as he examined the book’s table of contents.

“Is there one in particular that you’d like me to start with?” he asked earnestly. 

“Yes. Would you start with ‘Psychopomp’ by Middleton, please?” she requested.

Bucky quickly found the Haydn Middleton story and began reading it. As he finished the third paragraph, Janette interrupted him.

“Excuse me. Would you please remove your clothes?”

“My what?” he asked.

“Could you please take off your clothes?”

Motionless, Bucky stared at her for a moment biting his bottom lip.

“Ah...sure,” he said.

He stood and tented the book on the armrest of the club chair. Pulling his green v-neck t-shirt over his head, he placed it on the back of the chair and started to unbuckle his belt.

Glancing over at Janette, he saw her grinning back at him with approval. Just as he was about to unzip his pants, it occurred to him that he shouldn’t sit on Celeste’s club chair naked.

“Would you excuse me for a moment? I need a towel,” he said as he opened the door and stepped out.

 

**Remy**

8:00 – **Stephanie:** Head

Stephanie had arrived five minutes late for her session with Remy.

“Time is money, ma chère, and ladies pay top dollar for what I offer,” the Cajun scolded as she finally entered the door.

“You’ll be paid for the full time, you rascal. Besides, I’m always worth the wait,” she said.

“On verra,” countered Remy.

“So, what’s with the dark glasses?” she inquired as they both undressed.

“Oh, didn’t Celeste tell you?” he asked. “I have extremely light sensitive eyes, so unless you’re willing to have your pleasure in the dark, I’ll need to keep these on.”

“Fair enough, but you’re not gonna need Braille or a white cane to find my pussy, are you?” she snapped.

Remy wanted to say, ‘Just throw your legs in the air and shut the hell up’ but thought better of it. He did not want his behavior to reflect poorly on Celeste, so instead, he gave her a devilish grin and said, “No, and I haven’t had any complaints so far.”

Stephanie crawled onto the bed and lay on her back with her knees in the air and her feet flat near the bottom edge of the mattress. Starting without him, she began to massage her breasts and pinch her already erect nipples.

Remy pulled a tube of strawberry flavored gel from his bag. Kneeling at the foot of the bed, he drizzled it on her vulva, leaned forward, and began to lick the gel from between her thighs. 

Suddenly, they heard a light knock on the door and Bucky stepped in.

He first saw Stephanie on the bed and then noticed Remy’s seemingly ‘headless’ body, which almost looked as if she were having a breech birth.

“Oh!” Bucky yelped. “I’m so sorry, ma’am!”

Leaning forward to look at Bucky, Remy peered over Stephanie’s right thigh with gel covering the lower part of his face.

“James, we’re kind of busy,” the Cajun advised.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I need a towel,” informed Bucky.

“Across the hall,” Remy replied.

“Thanks! Sorry, ma’am,” he said again as he turned to leave.

“Hey!” Stephanie called to the muscular assassin. “What’s your hurry? Why don’t you join us?” she suggested.

Before Bucky could answer, Remy said, “He costs extra, darlin’,” and returned to licking the strawberry gel.

“Well, perhaps next time then,” she said as she winked at Bucky.

Blushing, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

*  *  *  *  *  *

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Bucky said returning with the towel that he took from a linen closet.

Pouting, Janette said, “I was beginning to think you’d left.”

Bucky laid the towel on the seat of the chair and then took off his biker boots and socks. He unzipped his jeans and removed his briefs placing them over the back of the chair with his t-shirt. He thought he owed it to Janette to stand for a moment completely naked in front of her to make up for his absence.

She looked him up and down and bit her bottom lip in utter delight. His muscular body had zero body fat and was definitely worth the wait.

Bucky resumed his position in the chair, picked up the book, and began reading where she had stopped him. After a moment, he glanced up at her and saw that she was frowning.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Why are you sitting with your legs crossed?” she wondered.

“...Oh…” Bucky replied. Thinking for a moment, he repositioned himself so that instead of crossing his legs at the knees, he rested his right ankle on his left knee giving her a view of his cock.

The smile on her face made Janette look so childlike that Bucky became a bit uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he continued reading.

When he finished the story, Bucky checked the time. He had 15 minutes until his next client, so it was time to end his session with Janette.

Picking up on his body language, she said, “Well, thank you for your time, James. You have a lovely voice, and I very much enjoyed that.”

“You’re most welcome, ma’am,” he replied.

Bucky stepped into his jeans without first putting on his briefs.

Janette fumbled in her purse for a moment and as Bucky opened the door for her, she slipped something into his left front pocket.

“May I see you again soon?” she asked clutching the book to her breasts.

“I would like that, Janette,” he replied with smile.

He watched her until she reached the side door and waved as she looked back before closing it behind her.

Pulling the object from his pocket, he saw that it was a $20 bill which he stared at for a moment.

Just then, the door to Remy’s room opened and Stephanie stepped out fully dressed and walking as if she were in a hurry to leave.

From inside the room, Remy yelled, “And next week, be on time!”

Remy then crossed the hall to the bathroom wearing only a silk bath robe. He wanted to wash the strawberry gel from his face and freshen up for his next client.

Without knocking, Bucky opened the bathroom door and stepped inside.

“James, I’m really not into men, so if you don’t mind –”

“Hey! I want to ask you something,” Bucky said with a bewildered look on his face.

“What?” Remy said leaning over the sink with soap on his face.

“That girl...she only gave me $20,” he said disappointed.

Standing and looking at him in disbelief, Remy said, “Dat’s a tip, you idiot.”

“A tip?” Bucky asked.                                                                                             

“Charlotte collected your fee when dat girl arrived,” the mutant informed him.

“Who’s Charlotte?” queried Bucky.

“Oh, my bad. I forgot to tell you about Charlotte,” he replied. "She’s one of Celeste’s assistants. She accepts the fees from the clients.”

“Oh...” said Bucky.

“If you ask me, dat was easy money considering all you did was read.”

“Oh, she asked me to take my clothes off, too,” Bucky chirped.

“Really? Well, dat was worth another $50 then,” said Remy.

“Wow...” said Bucky amazed that he did so well with his first client.

“Congratulations. She popped your cherry,” Remy joked. “Humph! Maybe I ought to work reading into _my_ repertoire,” he said.

“You read?” Bucky asked.

“Why does everyone ask me dat?” Remy demanded.

Bucky shrugged and stood staring at Remy in complete wonderment.

“James?” asked Remy.

“What?” Bucky replied.

“Is dat all?” he queried.

“Yeah, I guess so,” smiled Bucky.

“Great. Then would you mind getting the hell out of here?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I just...leaving now!” Bucky said as he opened the door and quickly stepped out.

Remy looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. “Humph...Rookie!” he said.

 

**Bucky**

9:00 – **Anne Marie:** Manicure

Bucky’s next client, Anne Marie, arrived with a pink train case containing nail polish and polish remover. They introduced themselves and she set the case down on the table.

“What color would you like, Anne Marie?” Bucky asked as he looked at the wide selection in the case.

“‘Dealer’s choice,’” she said. “Surprise me!”

After a moment of looking at the various choices, Bucky finally selected a wine color. As he began to screw off the cap, Anne Marie interrupted him.

“No no! You need to shake it before you take the cap off,” she advised.

He looked at the bottle as if he had never seen anything like if before.

Laying her left hand gently on his right arm, she said, “Sweetie, there’s a little bead at the bottom. When you shake it, it mixes the polish.”

“Oh, I see...” Bucky said wondering why Natasha had never told him that. Then again, he could not recall ever seeing her wear nail polish. He screwed the cap back on and shook the bottle briskly.

Anne Marie extended her left hand and giggled as Bucky began to cover her thumb with polish. It was cool to the touch and refreshing, and she studied his face intently as he moved on to her index finger. She loved his unblemished skin, the shape of his perfect nose, and the pronounced divot of his top lip. His most stunning facial quality was his eyes, which were blue with yellow flecks.

Bucky was fully aware that Anne Marie was examining him, but he wanted her to feel free to do as she pleased since she did not ask him to do anything he was uncomfortable with. As Remy said, this was easy money for the assassin, and since he did not need it, he did not mind at all.

As he began to apply polish to the pinky finger of her left hand, Anne Marie slowly reached her right toward Bucky’s face.

Allowing her to proceed, he continued with the polish.

She gently moved his long hair out of his face and tucked it behind his left ear so she could see his entire face.

Bucky smiled but did not meet her gaze. As thoughts of Natasha crept back into his mind, he was afraid that Anne Marie might take any gesture the wrong way.

Finishing with her left hand, Bucky recapped the bottle of polish, gave it a shake, unscrewed the cap again, and reached for her right hand. As he took it gently into his left hand, he suddenly heard a commotion from somewhere in the House. He stopped for a moment to listen more carefully.

 

**Remy**

9:00 – **Teresa:** Shrimping

As Teresa sat on the edge of the bed, Remy sat in a chair facing her. On the floor to the left of his chair was a bowl of warn water in which he had washed her feet with glycerin soap and then towel dried them. He proceeded to suck the toes of her left foot as she bit her bottom lip and gripped the mattress in near ecstasy.

The two were listening to Zydeco music on Remy’s MP3 player when they heard a subdued knock on the door.

Bucky poked his head in and asked, “Did you hear something?”

Turning to face him, Remy asked, “James, are you going to do this all night – interrupt me while I’m sucking on something?”

“Sorry...I just thought I heard a noise,” Bucky apologized.

“It was probably just the sound of my patience wearing thin. By all means, pay it no mind,” Remy replied sarcastically.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” said the assassin as he turned to leave.

“What’s _his_ name?” asked Teresa as the door closed.

“Who _him?”_ Remy asked. “His name is Pest,” the Cajun sneered becoming annoyed that his handsome partner seemed to be receiving more attention from the ladies than he himself was.

“Really? That’s a funny name,” remarked Teresa.

Stunned by her dimwittedness, Remy advised, “Chère, you in big trouble if you ever lose your looks.”

“Oh, why is that?” she asked innocently.

He stared at her for a moment and then went back to sucking her toes.

 *  *  *  *  *  * 

Instead of returning to Anne Marie in his room, Bucky decided to find the source of the commotion.

From the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, he could see a few people standing against the railing at the top. He heard a man shouting and women gasping. Deciding to investigate, he climbed the stairs and pushed his way through the crowd which had assembled in the hallway.

There, he saw a young woman with short blonde hair wearing nothing but a white tong and a short white kimono. She stood crying against a wall with the back of her right hand against her left cheek. Her eye had started to swell shut, and as she stared through the open door across from her, the look of horror on her face told Bucky that whoever did this to her was still in the room.

Cautiously, peering around the doorway, Bucky saw a man in a suit who was taking swigs from a bottle of gin.

“What the hell are you looking at?” the man demanded. “I paid my money. Now she has to do what I say!”

To his surprise, Bucky recognized the man as the school superintendent who he and Remy met the day before.

The assassin was now annoyed. Walking toward the man, he said, “Oh, you wanna to hit somebody? Hit _me!”_

Squinting, the man looked at Bucky and said, “I remember you! You’re one of those swamp rats I almost threw out of here last night.”

From downstairs, Bucky heard Celeste yell, “What’s going on up there?” as she began to ascend the staircase.

Wanting to end this before Celeste became involved, he approached the man. Before he could react, Bucky used the lightning fast reflexes of his cybernetic left arm, grabbed the man by his throat, and dragged him out into the hall.

The girl – who was now flanked on both sides by other girls – flinched and let out a sharp squeal as Bucky dragged the man past her.

When Celeste met Bucky at the top of the landing, she asked, “What the hell is going on here?”

“Just taking out the trash, ma’am,” he said as he dragged the man downstairs and out the front door.

As the man gasped for air, Bucky dumped him onto the sidewalk. Squatting over him, the assassin gave him a merciless stare and issued a warning.

“If you value your miserable life, you’ll never come here again. If anyone here so much as sees you within a mile of this place, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. Do I make myself clear?” he asked.

The man began to shake uncontrollably. He felt as if he were face-to-face with the Grim Reaper.

When the man did not answer, the assassin asked, “ _Do_ I?”

“Y-yes...Yes!” he said with his unblinking eyes as big as saucers.

Bucky slowly stood but his gaze never left the man’s eyes.

“Start walking,” he advised.

The man scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could leaving his car parked in front of the House of Celestial Dreams.

Bucky watched him until he faded into the darkness.

Turning toward the house, he saw faces in the windows and people standing at the front door watching him. As he approached, they stepped aside none wanting to get too close to him. There seemed to be a look of fear in everyone’s eyes, and he knew they would never think of him the same now that they had seen the darkness inside him.

Celeste stepped forward as Bucky walked back toward his room.

“I want to thank you for dat, James,” she said. “He hurt one of my girls, and I appreciate the way you handled dat. My bouncer Philip should have done it, but I don’t think he has the balls for the job.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. I hate bullies. Is the girl all right?” Bucky inquired.

“I think she’ll be fine. I told her to relax the rest of the night. My doctor will be over to see her first thing tomorrow morning,” she said.

Relieved, Bucky replied, “That’s good to hear.”

“You go on back to your client. We’ll talk later,” Celeste suggested.

As Bucky turned toward his room, Anne Marie met him in the hallway.

“You were amazing!” she crowed.

“Oh, it was nothing...really...” he replied.

“Where did you learn to handle yourself like that?” she queried.

“I was in the army, ma’am,” he said vaguely as he walked past her and sat back down at the table in his room. “Shall I finish your other hand?”

“No, I think you’ve had enough for one night. You can do it next time,” she advised.

“Next time? You mean after all that, you want to come back?” Bucky joked.

“Of course. You owe me the other half of a manicure, you silly,” she replied.

“Yes, I do. Well, until next time...” said Bucky.

“Good night, James,” said Anne Marie as she picked up her train case and tucked $20 into his left jeans pocket. She squeezed his right arm and let herself out.

Although his clients did not ask Bucky to do anything physical that night, he felt a bit tired from the adrenaline rush that he got from throwing out the superintendent. Lying on his back on the bed, he stared at the ceiling and listened to the Zydeco music that was drifting in from Remy’s room next-door. Through the wall, he could hear Teresa say ‘Oooh’ and Ah’ as Remy continued to suck her toes – the two of them oblivious to what had just happened.

Bucky did not have any other clients that night, and he was glad. It had been an eventful first night for him, and all he wanted to do was go back to Remy’s house and go to bed with little Sébastien asleep on his pillow.

As he waited for Remy, he drifted off to sleep thinking of the day he would see Natasha again. Normally, that would make him excited but after tonight, all he wanted to do was get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On verra = We will see


	4. Remy, the Confessor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky confides in Remy about his relationship with Natasha.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! It’s time to go home,” Remy chirped as he entered Bucky’s room at the House of Celestial Dreams.

When the sleeping assassin did not respond, the mutant approached the bed and laid his hand on Bucky’s right shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, the sleeper grabbed Remy’s wrist with his cybernetic left hand and squeezed it so hard that he yelped in pain.

“Ow! It’s _me,_ James. Let go!” the mutant snapped.

“Oh...Sorry about that,” Bucky said as he slowly released his grip on his friend. He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and rubbed his eyes.

Rubbing his sore wrist, Remy said, “Dat’s a hell of a grip you got there, soldier. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“I can’t help it. It’s second nature. I’m so sorry,” Bucky apologized.

“Yeah...well...Come on. Let’s get going,” said Remy with his backpack slung over his right shoulder.

Not bothering to smooth his long bed hair, Bucky asked, “What time is it?”

“It’s midnight. We’re done for the night, so let’s roll,” he replied.

The pair exited Bucky’s room and walked down the hall toward the side exit.

Meeting them at the door was Charlotte – a petite Creole girl with hazel eyes who tied her brunette hair in a ponytail. She was dressed smartly in a long sleeved white blouse and a formfitting navy skirt that stopped at her knees and had a slit up the back.

Handing each young man a small envelope, Charlotte said, “Bonsoir, boys. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

It immediately struck Bucky as odd to be called 'boy' by a girl who was young enough to be his great granddaughter. He smiled, but it was not just to be friendly; the irony amused him.

“Thank you, chère. You get home safely,” Remy advised her as he put his hand on her forearm.

“Goodnight, ma’am,” Bucky said as the pair stepped out the door and into the cool night air.

“Hey! You hungry?” Remy asked. “I could murder a beignet and some coffee.”

“I could eat,” Bucky agreed with a shrug.

As they walked to the car, he asked his friend, “So, what’s this?” holding up the envelope.

“That’s your pay,” said the Cajun. “Don’t lose that card. Charlotte will add to its balance each day you work.”

Bucky got into the car and opened the envelope. Inside, he found a gift credit card with a sheet of instructions on how to activate and use it.

“Welcome to the modern world, Sergeant Barnes,” he said to himself.

“Welcome indeed,” Remy replied with a smile.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Driving through the French Quarter, Remy slowed Crimson Voodoo and parked the GTO on Decatur Street next to Café Du Monde. The two friends exited the car, sat at a table under the green and white canopy, and waited for a waitress to take their order.

When the waitress arrived, Remy ordered two beignets and a cup of coffee with chicory for each of them. The café was busy, but it did not take long for their food to be served.

“So, do you and your girl live together?” Remy asked his companion.

“Technically no, we don’t. Why?” the suspicious assassin asked.

“Just curious,” remarked the mutant with a shrug. “Any particular reason why you don’t?”

“Yeah – two big reasons,” said Bucky.

Remy sipped his coffee while he waited for his friend to elaborate.

Bucky looked around at the other diners as he spoke. Being geographically aware was something that the Army brat’s father had taught him when Bucky was just a child. ‘Always know your surroundings’ was what his father used to say, and it was a practice the assassin never forgot.

“We spend most of our time together at her apartment, but I was the one who suggested that I keep my place as well,” he confessed.

Remy put down his coffee cup and listened intently.

“As you might expect, I sometimes have ‘episodes,’” the assassin explained.

 _“'Episodes?’”_ asked the thief.

“They’re very realistic nightmares. Sometimes, I just thrash around in bed and wake her up. Other times, I...” he paused to decide how to word the rest. “Other times I lash out. When that happens, I need a place where I can go to get my head together. It’s safer for her that way.”

“How does she handle it?” the inquisitive thief asked.

“Better than most people could,” he said. “I figure most women would have dropped my ass like a hot potato after the first incident, but not Natasha. She and I were in the Red Room program together, so she knows what I’ve been through. She understands.”

“Still, it’s got to be a bit alarming to be awakened like dat, no?” Remy asked.

“Yeah, and that’s why when I have a really bad episode, I go to my place for a day or so to get my head on straight and give her a break from it,” Bucky replied.

“So, you said there were two reasons you kept your apartment. What’s the other reason?” queried Remy.

“Well, most guys need a man cave, right?” he smiled. “As you know, I like to build and repair things, and I don’t have space to do that at her place. Besides, even though we’ve known each other for decades, it still freaks her out when she sees me repairing my own arm. I can do that in private at my place.”

“Yeah, I can understand dat,” said Remy sympathetically. “Has she ever been to your place?” he asked.

“Hell no! I live in a shithole,” Bucky laughed.

Remy laughed with his friend for a moment and then asked, “Is it really dat bad?”

“Think of your place,” he said referring to Remy’s brightly colored, cheerfully decorated house where Bucky had been staying for the past few days. “Now imagine the opposite,” the assassin instructed. “It’s a dark little one-person place – a small living room with a small bedroom, tiny bathroom and tiny kitchen. It’s hidden from the street by the two-story house in front of it. How could I take her there? It’s only fit for a Quasimodo like me,” he concluded.

“Why do you hide from the world, James?” the mutant asked earnestly.

“Because I don’t deserve to live in it,” the assassin replied.

Dumbfounded, Remy stared at his companion for a long time, but Bucky refused to make eye contact.

Finally, the thief said, “Let’s get some rest, Sergeant. Oh, and wipe off your shirt.”

Looking down, Bucky saw that he had spilled powdered sugar down the front of himself as he munched on his beignets. He blushed and brushed it off as best he could.

Returning to the car, the two men drove to Remy’s house in silence. Even as they entered the house, the two said nothing.

In the kitchen, Bucky bent to scoop up Sébastien who was waiting for him at the back door.

It was only when Bucky was halfway up the stairs that he finally said, “Good night, Remy.”

“Bonne nuit, mon ami,” he replied.

The two men retired to their respective bedrooms and slept the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonsoir = Good evening  
> Cafe Du Monde = World Coffee (coffee of the world)  
> Bonne nuit = Good night


	5. All in a Night’s Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is still getting comfortable with his new profession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been updated at the suggestion of my dear friend Janice. I greatly abbreviated Remy's two client sessions in this chapter because I felt they may have been a bit "too steamy." However, when Janice asked why they were short, I realized that I wasn't being fair to Remy when I drastically shortened them. In this update, I also included Bucky's reaction to Remy's expanded sessions so if you're re-reading this chapter, please do so in its entirety.

When Bucky awoke around 10 a.m., he turned his head to the right and saw little Sébastien sitting on the pillow staring back at him.

“Yeah, I know. It’s late, but you have no idea how hard I worked last night,” he joked.

Rising from bed, he walked into the bathroom but left the door slightly ajar.

Sébastien followed but sat waiting outside the door until Bucky returned twenty minutes later naked and with his long dark hair still mostly wet.

As he dressed, the assassin resumed his one-sided conversation with the black kitten.

“So, what do you do while I’m gone, little man? Do you terrorize your brothers?” Bucky asked. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

The feline yawned and then sneezed – an act which seemed to surprise him as if he had never done it before.

“Hey! You’re not getting sick, are you?” asked Bucky. Picking up the cat, he scratched him on his head and said, “Come on, little one. Let’s get some breakfast.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

As he descended the stairs with Sébastien in hand, Bucky could smell the usual delicious aromas coming from Remy’s kitchen.

When he reached the kitchen’s doorway, he placed Sébastien on the floor and watched the kitten join Olivier and François at their breakfast bowl.

“Good morning, James,” Remy said as he removed a spinach and mushroom quiche from the oven.

“Good morning, Remy. Why don’t you ever wake me to help you with breakfast?” the assassin asked.

“What? You don’t like my cooking? You saying I need help?” the Cajun joked.

“Not at all! It’s just that I should cook for you for a change,” he offered.

“No worries, old man. I love to cook and besides, you said you _don’t,"_ he reminded his house guest.

“Well, I don’t hate it enough that I wouldn’t do it for you,” said Bucky.

Remy laughed and said, “Sit down, Sergeant. Your coffee’s getting cold.”

Smiling, Bucky sat and anxiously waited for the heavenly breakfast that his host prepared.

Remy watched as he ate with gusto.

“Wow...I guess you built up quite the appetite overnight,” he remarked.

“Yeah, it turns out that reading and polishing nails makes me really hungry,” he replied with a full mouth. “What do you have planned for today?” queried Bucky.

“I have to go see Lapin to deal with some Thieves Guild business. Do you mind if I leave you on your own today?” Remy asked.

“No. Not at all,” he answered.

“If you want to go out, take one of the Harleys. The keys are in the ashtray on the credenza,” the mutant offered.

“Sweet! Thanks, man,” said Bucky.

“Don’t mention it!”

When the two finished breakfast, Bucky insisted that he wash the dishes.

Remy bid him a good day as he left through the back door to get Crimson Voodoo out of the garage.

“Looks like it’s just the four of us,” Bucky said to Sébastien, Olivier and François.

Walking into the living room, he sat on the sofa and pulled out his cell phone. He knew Natasha was probably too busy to answer but decided to send her a text message anyway.

 **Bucky:** I love and miss you, babe! See you soon. :-)

To his surprise, she responded immediately.

            **Natasha:** I love you more! Be safe, my darling. ♥

Bucky read her message over and over a few times.

“You see that?” he asked pointing at his phone. “She said she loves me more!” he proudly informed the kittens who ignored him while they pounced on each other and chased one another to and fro.

Deciding to give himself a project, the assassin placed his laptop on the coffee table and sat on the floor in front of it. He began to build a playlist for Remy featuring songs that he loved so the thief would learn a bit about the assassin through his taste in music.

On the playlist, Bucky placed a few songs by Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, The Andrew Sisters, Harry James, Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman.

“That’s a good sampling to get him started,” he said.

Suddenly realizing how quickly the time passed, Bucky shut down his laptop.

“I’ve got to hurry if I want to beat him home!” he said of Remy.

Grabbing a set of keys from the ashtray, Bucky told the kittens, “You boys play nice. I’ll be right back,” and walked out the back door. Opening the garage door, he walked out the Harley V-Rod, closed the door, and straddled the bike. Remembering a market that he and Remy passed the other day, he drove over to buy groceries.

Upon his return to Remy’s house, the assassin quickly got to work in the kitchen. Luckily, he found all the seasonings and utensils that he needed.

By the time the thief returned, he was surprised to smell food cooking.

Entering the kitchen, Remy asked, “James, what are you doing?”

“What’s it look like, man? I’m cooking,” replied Bucky.

“But you don’t like to cook,” reminded the Cajun.

“Well, I wanted to thank you for all the meals and hospitality you’ve shown me, so wash your hands. Everything is just about ready,” Bucky said.

Remy washed up while Bucky plated their dinner. Before him, Remy saw a ribeye steak, broccoli florets, and warm dinner rolls. To drink, there was iced tea and for dessert was an apple pie.

“You’re really spoiling me tonight, mon ami,” Remy said.

“It’s my pleasure,” said Bucky with a smile. “Besides, someone has to try to put some meat on your bones!”

The two laughed and ate with relish enjoying every bite.

“I think you need to cook more often, James,” Remy advised.

“Yeah! So do I,” he replied.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Before the friends knew it, it was 7:20 and time to drive to Celeste’s. Charlotte greeted them at the side door, and the men went to their respective rooms to prepare for the evening’s first clients.

**Friday**

**Remy**

8:00 – **Justine:** Restraints and ice cubes

For her session with Remy, Justine brought her own handcuffs as well as a small cooler containing a sack of ice.

Taking the cooler from her, the mutant placed it on the nightstand. He then turned to her with a question.

“What’s your safe word, mon amour?” he asked the redhead.

“My what?” she asked.

“Oh, with me, you’ve got to have a safe word, darlin’, and I promise that you’ll need it,” he said ominously as he gazed deep into her green eyes.

Both enchanted and afraid, she softly said, “Pineapple. My safe word is pineapple.”

“Pineapple it is. Now, let’s get started,” he said approaching her like a tiger slowly stalking its prey.

Justine’s heart raced and she let out a little squeal as she imagined the wondrous ways in which he would pleasure her.

He lifted her green v-neck top over her head and laid it at the foot of the bed. Her small braless breasts were so perky and perfect that he knelt over her and admired them for a moment.

Remy then placed a large towel on the center of the bed. Picking her up, he laid her on top of it and straddled her so he could cuff her hands to the wooden spokes in headboard.

The redhead bit her lip as he unzipped her plaid mini skirt and slipped it from her hips. It joined her top at the foot of the bed.

Justine was a ‘shaven maven’ who wore no panties, which he found particularly enticing.

“I see you provided easy access to ol’ Remy, didn’t you, petite?”

She smiled mischievously.

Remy leaned over and pulled an ice cube from the cooler. Using his right index finger and thumb, he pressed the cube onto her left breast and made circles on her areola. Once the nipple became fully erect, he switched to her right one until it had the same reaction. When he finished, he slid the ice cube into Justine’s mouth and watched her suck on it.

Reaching into the cooler again, Remy retrieved another cube and then moved to the foot of the bed. He spread her long, slender legs and rubbed the ice against her clitoris.

Justine writhed with delight as the sweet pain overtook her. When she finally could stand no more she said, “Oooh, you can stop now.”

He leaned over her and as she watched, he took the ice from her pussy and put it in his mouth.

Taking yet another cube from the cooler, he began to ice her clitoris again.

“I really want you to stop,” she declared breathlessly.

Ignoring her, the Cajun continued with a wry smile on his face.

Justine began to squirm and desperately pulled at the handcuffs.

“Stop!” she demanded.

He still ignored her as he traced circles on her vagina.

‘What’s the safe word?’ she asked herself. Becoming frantic, she wondered, ‘Why can’t I think of it? What’s the word?’

Suddenly, Justine remembered.

‘Oh yes! It’s…’

**Bucky**

8:00 – **Janette:** Erotic Literature

Instead of “I Shudder at Your Touch,” tonight Janette arrived with a different book.

“Could you please read this one tonight?” she asked Bucky.

“Certainly,” he said.

Taking the book from her hand, he read its title aloud. “‘Vox’ by Nicholson Baker. Sounds interesting. Let’s begin.”

Bucky placed the book on the table and began to remove his clothes. When he finished, he removed one of the chairs from the table, turned it facing away from Janette, and placed a towel on the chair’s seat. He then straddled the chair to give her a full view of his cock and picked up the book from table.

Janette was practically beside herself with joy and expectation as she sat across from him on the bed.

He rested the book on the back of the chair and began to read. It was not too far along that he realized the stream of consciousness story was written in the form of a phone sex conversation between two strangers. He paused for a moment to digest this realization.

Looking over at Janette, he wondered how much she knew about the book before bringing it in. He decided that since she was the customer, it was his job to make her happy. So, he continued reading.

To their surprise, from the next room they heard a woman yell.

“Did you hear someone yell, ‘Pineapple?’” she asked Bucky.

He stared at her for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe,” he said.

They both sat listening for a moment to see if they could hear anything else. When they did not, he returned to the book.

As he read, Bucky became increasingly aroused, which he supposed was Janette’s intention. Try as he might, he could not fight it.

‘Thank goodness for the towel,’ he thought.

Finally, when he could forego it no longer, he erupted in an astounding orgasm.

For some reason, Bucky felt embarrassed, so he could not bring himself to meet Janette’s gaze. Instead, he closed his eyes and hung his head so his long hair would hide his face.

After a moment of silently observing the young man in the chair, Janette quietly rose from the bed and walked over to him. She took the book from his trembling hands, kissed him on the top of his head, and left a $50 tip on the table.

Before leaving the room, she whispered, “Thank you, James,” and let herself out.

**Remy**

9:00 – **Angela:** Whipped cream and chocolate syrup

For this session, Remy needed extra towels. He placed a triple layer of them on a blanket which he spread over the bed so that everything would be in place when Angela arrived with the sweet treats.

Angela knocked on the door and waited for a response.

“Entrez,” Remy replied from where he lay on the bed naked. He was reclining on his right side facing the door with his right leg straight. His left leg was bent at the knee with his left foot flat on the mattress. His large cock rested on his right thigh as the Cajun casually played Solitaire.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Angela said as she removed the syrup, whipped cream, and cherries from a blue tote bag.

“Not at all, my dear,” he replied peering at her through his long Auburn bangs. He gathered the cards and learned over to place them on the nightstand.

Rising from the bed, he said, “Allow me to assist you,” as he walked over and began to unbutton her pale pink blouse. He gently unzipped her formfitting black skirt and let it drop around her ankles.

Remy slowly walked behind her, slid his hands under the cups of her bra, and began to softly knead her breasts. He squeezed her nipples between his index and middle fingers while he affectionately kissed her neck.

When Angela moaned softly, he unhooked her bra and dropped it on the floor. Pulling her closer so her ass was against his cock, he guided his hand down the front of her panties and whispered, “Are you wet, angel?” He slid his middle finger into her pussy to check.

A ripple of pleasure shook Angela and she started to breathe heavily.

Remy turned her around and scooped her up in his arms. Placing her on the towels, he reached for the syrup and whipped cream giving the can of cream a few good shakes in front of his cock to simulate jerking off. He was glad to see that from the smile on her face, the symbolism was not missed by his client.

Straddling her with his cock resting on her stomach, the Cajun began to squirt the whipped cream on Angela’s perky right breast being careful to leave her nipple bare. He then drizzled some of the syrup into the well covering her nipple which made her moan in delight.

Leaning over to the table, Remy grabbed the box of cherries and popped one into his mouth.

Angela watched in anticipation as Remy used his tongue and teeth to separate the cherry from its stem. Holding the cherry between his teeth, he leaned forward and placed it atop the dollop of cream and chocolate on her right breast.

As he sat astride her, Remy tied the cherry stem into a knot using his tongue. When he was finished, he stuck out his tongue for her to see it.

Angela gasped with surprise amazed at his skillfulness and unabashed sensuality.

Before she could ask how he did it, he began to lick the outer edges of the cream from her breasts. Pausing to heighten her anticipation, he gazed lustfully into her eyes. He then used his tongue to scoop the cherry from her right nipple and pushed it into her mouth so she could enjoy its chocolate covered tartness.

Remy waited until Angela finished chewing the cherry’s meat, and then his tongue searched the inside of her mouth to find its pit. Retrieving it, he spat it out onto the floor.

While he returned to licking the remaining cream and syrup from her breast, his right hand caressed her left one drawing tiny circles on her nipple.

“Do me now!” Angela begged at the point of rapture.

“You want it?” Remy asked.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Reaching over to the bowl on the nightstand, Remy selected a Trojan BareSkin condom and tore open the envelope.

“No! Let me,” Angela insisted. She unwrapped the rubber and gently guided it over his rigid cock. When she reached its hilt, she spread her legs and shivered with excitement.

“It’s all yours, chère,” he said plunging himself deep into her core.

Angela moaned with every thrust until she felt herself coming. She grabbed his auburn hair with her left hand and dug her fingers into his back with her right.

As she exploded in sheer ecstasy, she let her arms drop to her sides.

Whispering in her ear, Remy advised, “Don’t forget to breathe, ma petite fleur,” and kissed her lovingly on the forehead.

**Bucky**

9:00 – **Zoë:** Strip Poker

After Janette left, Bucky walked to the small bathroom across from Remy’s room and heard Angela’s passionate moaning. He paused for a moment to listen but began to feel guilty about doing so. He could not imagine giving that kind of pleasure to a total stranger, but then remembered his friend’s words of advice: ‘It’s just sex, mon ami.’

Getting back to the task at hand, he quickly freshened up so he would be prepared for Zoë. He made sure to bring along a deck of cards in case she did not have her own.

When Bucky met her at the door, he was taken aback by her dark blue hair and nose ring. He had made progress with being more accepting of modern trends but as a man whose roots were still somewhat cemented in the 1940s, he still sometimes found himself shocked by the things he saw.

“Hi, Zoë. Please come in,” he said.

“Wow...You’re kind of hot. You ready to lose all your clothes, James?” she asked as she entered.

“That generally doesn’t happen,” he informed her.

“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m pretty good, so we’ll see,” she countered.

The two sat at the table across from each other and Zoë produced a deck of cards from her backpack. As she began to shuffle the deck, Bucky posed a question.

“Why do you come here, Zoë?”

“Who...me?” she asked. “Hmm...No one’s ever asked me that before. I guess I'm like all the other women who come here. I just want to enjoy a man’s company without him pawing all over me,” she said with a shrug.

“Why do _you_   do this?” she asked.

“I normally don’t,” the assassin replied. “I’m just helping out a friend.”

“Oh, well you two must be good friends for you to do a favor like this. Some of the folks who come here are real whack jobs,” she laughed.

“You don’t seem like a whack job,” Bucky observed.

“Well, not everyone can look past the blue hair and piercings to get to know me. I’m surprised you didn’t slam the door in my face, you being one of the beautiful people, James,” she said.

“I’m hardly ‘one of the beautiful people,’” he protested. “I’m quite flawed.”

Zoë looked the handsome assassin up and down and laughed.

“You look like the cover of a magazine, Mr. Flawed,” she sniped.

As much as he wanted to, Bucky fought the urge to uncloak his bionic arm and show her just how flawed he was. Instead, he confided in her.

“Trust me. There are more people than I care to count who would sooner spit in my face than say hello,” he confessed.

After a moment, she replied, “I guess it’s true that you really don’t know what someone’s been through until you walk a mile in their shoes.”

Although she still did not understand how such an attractive man could feel so out of place in the world, Zoë decided to drop the subject and get down to business.

“Mind if I deal?” she asked him.

“Knock yourself out,” Bucky said with a smile.

After losing the first few rounds, Zoë became a little annoyed.

“This isn’t working out so well for me. I admit that I’m a sore loser,” she snapped.

“Well, you never know. Your luck might change,” he said as he realized he should start losing to make her happy.

As she shuffled the deck, Bucky’s cell phone buzzed.

“It’s a text from my friend. Would you mind if I respond?” he asked.

Zoë shrugged her shoulders and continued with the cards.

> **Remy:** I don’t have a 10:00. Want to get some coffee?
> 
> **Bucky:** Is it that late?
> 
> **Remy:** Yeah.
> 
> **Bucky:** Still playing Strip Poker with my 9:00.
> 
> **Remy:** Deal me in, cher!
> 
> **Bucky:** You’ll have to lose.
> 
> **Remy:** Fuck that!
> 
> **Bucky:** She’s nice. Come play but let her win.
> 
> **Remy:** No can do.
> 
> **Bucky:** Get your bony ass in here!
> 
> **Remy:** You owe me.
> 
> **Bucky:** Whatever.

Zoë looked at Bucky and asked, “So are we playing or texting?”

“Sorry about that. Mind if my friend joins us?” he asked.

Zoë raised an eyebrow.

“He’s not extra; he just likes Poker,” Bucky assured her.

“I guess I couldn’t lose any worse than I’m losing right now. Sure,” she said.

Remy knocked lightly on the door and let himself into the room.

“Hey, Mr. Flawed. You’re friend’s kind of hot, too!” she said with a smirk.

Remy looked at Bucky quizzically.

Bucky shook his head as if to say, ‘Don’t ask.’

Begrudgingly, Remy let Zoë win each round. When he was dealt good cards, he palmed them and replaced them with bad ones to give her the advantage.

Likewise, Bucky intentionally made poor decisions so that she would win.

In no time, the two men seated in front of Zoë were completely naked.

“Well, boys it appears that I’ve overstayed my welcome and you have nothing left to remove. Let’s call it a night,” she suggested.

“See, I told you your luck could change,” Bucky chirped.

Zoë smiled demurely as she gathered the cards to return the deck to its carrying case.

Remy frowned at him as he rose from the chair and started to dress. Even though they were not playing for money, he still hated to lose.

“Thanks, guys! It’s been a pleasure,” the perky girl said.

Zoë gave Bucky a $25 tip and the same to Remy even though she was not his client.

The tip changed Remy’s demeanor immediately.

“If there’s anything else we can do for you, ma chère, you be sure to let us know,” he said and then kissed her hand.  

Giggling, Zoë said, “Later, guys!” and let herself out.

“Looks like that ‘dolla made you holla,’ Grumpy Gus,” observed Bucky.

“Oh, you shut up. You know damn well it’s against my principles to lose,” Remy protested.

“Well, I’ve never lost before either, and I’m handling the defeat better than you are,” replied Bucky.

“Put your clothes on and let’s go home. It’s damn near midnight,” the mutant snapped.

When Bucky was finished dressing, the two walked down the hall and were greeted by Charlotte.

“Hello, boys!” she said as she approached them. “Celeste would like to see you in her office for a moment. If I don’t see you before you leave, bonne soirée!”

“Good night,” the two men said in unison.

They looked at each other wondering what Celeste could want. Turning down the hall, they approached her door.

Remy knocked and allowed Bucky to go first when they were instructed to enter.

“Come in gentlemen! Come on in,” Celeste began. “Did you boys pass a good time in my House?” she asked with a broad smile.

“Any time spent here is always a good time. You know dat, Celeste,” cooed Remy.

“Did we treat you well, James?” she inquired.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve had a good time!” Bucky said honestly.

“Well, boys, I asked you here to tell you that you’ve been given a reprieve,” she declared.

Bucky and Remy stared at each other for a moment and then looked back at Celeste.

Continuing, she said, “Dat Andre told me that his family crisis has been averted, and he’ll be back to work tomorrow night. So, it looks like this is your last night with us.”

Both men looked surprised but stifled a cheerful outburst.

“Celeste, I speak for both of us when I say dat we enjoyed every minute of our time here. We’re glad we were able to help, and it’s good news dat things are going better for Andre,” Remy said.

Smiling, she said, “Well, I appreciate dat, Remy. I’ll let you boys get on home now, but I want you to know that you’re welcome here at any time...in any capacity.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Bucky.

As the two men rose, Celeste stood, walked to the front of her desk, and kissed each of them on both cheeks.

“Oh, and before I forget, there’s a little something extra on your cards...you know...for the short notice,” she said.

“Celeste, dat was not necessary!” protested Remy.

“My lady clients had nothing but praise for the both of you, so it’s well-deserved. Good night, James! I’ll see you around, Remy!” she said.

The two friends left her office and walked down the hall to the exit. They waited until they were in the car before they spoke.

“Thank you, Lord! No more crazy Stephanie!” Remy bellowed. “One more night of her tardy ass, and I would have gone to jail!”

Laughing, Bucky said, “I might get to see Nat now!” Suddenly feeling a little guilty about his joy, he added, “It was more fun than I thought it would be, but I’d like to see my girl. Is that awful?”

“Of course not,” said the Cajun.

Bucky stared at Remy for a few moments as he drove.

“What?” the mutant asked as he noticed his companion out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m gonna miss you,” the assassin said honestly.

“Aw, don’t go soft on me, Sergeant,” he replied.

“No really!” Bucky said. “You’ve been a good friend to me, and I don’t have many friends.”

Remy stared at him for a moment.

“There you go again! Watch the road, LeBeau! I SWEAR I’m gonna take your keys!” yelled Bucky.

“I love you, too, James!” laughed Remy.

They drove for a while in silence, and then the mutant had an idea.

“Hey! Why don’t you come visit me at the school? You’d like it,” he suggested.

“Yeah, that would be great!” the assassin agreed.

“Come as soon as you’d like,” Remy offered.

“Maybe in a few days after I’ve seen Nat. I’ll give you a call!” he said.

When they arrived at Remy’s house, he asked his partner, “So, when are you leaving?”

“I guess as soon as I can arrange transport,” he replied.

“I’m not kicking you out, but is tomorrow too soon?” asked Remy.

“No, that’d be great, but I’d need to arrange – ” started Bucky.

“We’re both going back to New York anyway, yeah? I’ll contact Storm and ask her to send a Blackbird for us tomorrow. From the school, you can borrow a Harley and bring it back when you come to visit, yeah? Does dat work for you?”

“That would be great. Thanks, man!” Bucky said merrily.

“Then it’s settled,” Remy said with a smile.

*  *  *  *  *  *

The next morning, both men rose early to pack and have a light breakfast before they departed.

“Whose going to look after the cats?” asked Bucky as he scratched Sébastien’s head.

“Cousin Lapin always keeps an eye on the place. He’ll take the cats until I come back,” Remy advised him.

“I’m gonna miss you, little one,” Bucky said as the kitten licked his face.

As Remy placed a pet carrier on the kitchen table, he said, “Oh dat one’s not staying here. He’s going to New York.”

Happy to hear this, Bucky chirped, “Great! Then I’ll get to visit him. That’ll be awesome!”

“Uh-huh,” Remy said as he took the kitten from Bucky and placed him in the carrier.

Placing the carrier next to his duffle bags, Remy turned to Olivier and François and said, “Now, you two be good. Cousin Lapin is coming for us, but he’ll be back to get you soon. You behave. Est-ce que tu comprends?”

When Lapin arrived, the three men loaded the bags and pet carrier into the car and drove to a large area which had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina but never rebuilt. It was there that Kurt Wagner (codename: Nightcrawler) landed the Blackbird.

Hesitant to approach Bucky, Kurt stayed at the controls while Remy and Bucky loaded their gear.

“Kurt, this is my good friend James. James, this is Kurt. He’s on staff at the school,” said Remy.

“Pleased to meet you, and thanks for the ride, Kurt,” Bucky replied.

Knowing that Bucky was fluent in German, he asked with a thick German accent, “Bist du der genannt Winter Soldier?” ignoring Bucky’s gratitude.

After a pause, Bucky said, “Ja, ich war der Winter Soldier.” He had a feeling that it would not be a pleasant trip.

“Bitte nehmen Sie Platz,” said the blue mutant.

Remy looked apologetically at Bucky. He knew that Kurt was normally a very sweet person but every once in a while was a bit standoffish when it came to meeting new people.

Looking a bit wounded, Bucky sat behind Remy who took the co-pilot’s seat. 

‘A ride is a ride no matter how rude the pilot is,’ Bucky thought to himself.

The Blackbird took to the air and was in New York in no time. Since no students were allowed anywhere near the Blackbirds when they were taking off or landing, none of them saw Bucky’s arrival.

Remy led him to the massive underground garage and handed him the keys to one of the Harleys which stood at the ready.

“Give me a call when you’re ready to visit, and I’ll show you around,” he said.

“I’ll do that,” Bucky promised. “Thanks again for everything, man.”

The two friends shook hands and then hugged.

As he strapped his duffle bag to one side of the motorcycle, Bucky paused to take a long look at his new friend.

Suddenly, Remy said, “Oh! I almost forgot. Don’t forget this!” he said as he held Sébastien’s pet carrier in front of him.

Bucky was in shock with his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

“No! I can’t take him from you. I couldn’t!” he said.

“You the only one on dis planet dat cat even likes. You’d be lost without each other. Take him. You belong to him!” Remy insisted.

Before he could stop it, a tear ran down Bucky’s face.

“I’ll take such good care of him,” he promised as Remy strapped the carrier securely to the bike’s bitch seat.

“I know you will,” replied Remy. “Now get on home and see your girl before she leaves your sorry ass,” he joked.

“I’ll see you real soon, my friend,” Bucky said as he started the engine and drove the bike through the garage doors.

Remy waved although his friend did not look back. Turning, he walked toward the mansion feeling good about what he had just done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mon ami = my friend  
> mon amour = my love  
> bonne nuit = good night  
> Est-ce que tu comprends? = Do you understand?  
> Bist du der genannt Winter Soldier? = Are you the one called Winter Soldier?  
> Ja, ich war der Winter Soldier = Yes, I was the Winter Soldier  
> ma petite fleur = my little flower  
> petite = little one  
> chère = dear


	6. The Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky returns home from New Orleans.

When Bucky arrived at Natasha’s apartment, he placed his belongings on the floor outside her door and reached in the pocket of his leather jacket for his keys. Before he was able to pull them out, the door burst open and she jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist.

Bucky walked forward into the apartment while he and his lady love kissed passionately. He shut the door behind them as they continued to kiss for another few moments. Without saying a word, he carried her to the bedroom where he sat her on the bed. There, they stared into each other’s eyes as they started to undress.

When Bucky had stripped down to only his jeans, he suddenly realized that he had left his belongings in the hallway.

“Oh no!” the soldier yelped and ran out of the room. He darted through the living room, raced to the front door, and threw it open.

Scooping up his bags, he turned and saw Yelena standing behind him in only a white camisole and matching panties. Her arms were folded and her face was drawn into a scowl.

“We don’t see each other for almost two weeks, and your first words are _‘Oh no!’?_

“I’m sorry, rebenok!” he apologized.

“And what is THAT?” she asked pointing to the small animal carrier that he held in his right hand.

 _“This?_ This is Sébastien!” the assassin said proudly.

Scooping up his bags, he turned and saw Natasha standing behind him wearing only a pink camisole and matching panties. Her arms were folded and her face was drawn into a scowl.

“And _who_ is Sébastien? Wait...Don’t tell me...” she said as she folded her arms again anticipating what her lover was going to say.

“He’s my cat. He adopted me!” Bucky said as he closed the door and put the carrier on the living room rug.

“We never discussed a cat, James,” she protested.

“I know, but I’ve never been adopted by one before,” he replied. “We’ve bonded. Can I keep him?” he begged.

Natasha saw something different in Bucky’s face. Instead of the serious, driven assassin that she had known for years, she saw the boy soldier who looked so angelic as he waited for her response.

“I don’t know, James. Give me time –” she began.

“You won’t even know he’s here!” he interrupted her.

Again, he looked like a little boy, and she was finding it hard to say ‘no.’”

“Well, I guess –” she again began.

“Thank you, babe!” the assassin chirped as he planted a quick kiss on her lips.

Before she could say another word, Bucky squatted and opened the animal carrier. Reaching in, he happily pulled Sébastien out.

“Sébastien, meet your new mommy, Natasha!” he said as he held the cat up for her to behold.

 _“‘Mommy’?_ Now, wait a minute, James!” she protested.

Ignoring her, Bucky walked around the apartment holding the mischievous feline in his bionic left hand while pointing to furniture and fixtures with his real hand.

“See, boy? This is your television, and this is your sofa, and this is your kitchen, and this is your chair, and this is your table, and let me show you the bedroom...” he trailed on.

“Oh, you wait a minute, mister! That cat is NOT sleeping with us!” Natasha decreed.

“Babe, he has to sleep _somewhere,”_ protested Bucky.

“He can sleep in the kitchen, in that box you brought him in, or at your place but he’s NOT sleeping in our bed!” she insisted with a nod of her head that let him know the discussion was now over.

Bucky stared at Natasha with sad eyes and a pained expression.

“Honestly, James, you have a choice. You can sleep with me or with the cat,” she informed him.

When he did not respond, she became angry.

“Well, I see you’ve made your decision. I hope you find the sofa comfortable,” she replied and started to walk away.

Grabbing her arm, Bucky tried another approach. He decided to take Remy’s advice to for once be his own man. He decided it was time to fight for what he wanted from her. He would stick to his guns even if it only meant employing a bit of charm. She never allowed him anything, but he felt Sébastien was worth fighting for.

“He’s just a kitten, babe. Please don’t let him come between us. Let’s not argue about this,” he cooed and then kissed her again passionately while still holding Sébastien.

After a few moments of kissing, Natasha started to remove her camisole.

Taking her cue, Bucky placed Sébastien on the rug and removed his jeans while Natasha stepped out of her panties.

He threw back the covers, picked her up, and gently placed her on the bed.

As soon as he lay next to her, she straddled him as usual. She liked to be rough with him and enjoyed making love after what seemed like an eternity of being apart.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing,” he said as he cheerfully thought he might actually get his way for once.

Silently, they shared an explosive orgasm and then remained coupled and panting for several moments. Finally, Bucky pulled out of her and they lay side-by-side holding hands.

After a long silence, Natasha said, “I love you, James.”

The words were something that Bucky had heard far too seldom in his life. Turning to her, he said, “And I love you.”

She rested her head on his shoulder and after a deep sigh said, “All right. You can keep the cat.”

Laughing, Bucky said, “Thank you, babe!” and kissed her on the forehead.

At that moment, Bucky had everything he wanted: his girlfriend, his cat, and the comfort of knowing that there was no place he would rather be. It was a feeling that he knew he could get quite used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rebenok = baby  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> © 2015 Planet Press
> 
> All characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights.


End file.
